CVS Pharmacy Tech Says Extortion Led Her to Steal Narcotics

A CVS pharmacy technician is awaiting trial after she allegedly stole prescription narcotics and testosterone for a man she claims was threatening her and her children, according to MassLive.com.

Kesha Germaine, 27, of Springfield, Massachusetts, pleaded innocent in September 2015 to 5 counts of larceny and drug possession with intent to distribute.

Germaine said she is a victim of an extortion scheme, which forced her to steal 900 tablets of alprazolam, 185 doses of suboxone, and 10 mL of testosterone in 2014. She told police that she stole the products often by hiding them in her shoes or pockets, MassLive.com reported.

Back in June 2014, a CVS loss prevention officer notified police that Germaine had been implicated in thefts, according to MassLive.com. Four days later, Germaine signed a statement at the police station in which she confessed to the crimes. However, her statement also included information about the man threatening her.

The man in question had been a CVS customer who attempted to initiate a romantic relationship with Germaine, but she was not interested, according to MassLive.com’s report. The man, who lived at a homeless shelter, then started to harass Germaine via her cell phone and at CVS. The situation escalated even further, when he said he would hurt her or her children if she did not steal drugs for him from the CVS.

According to Germaine’s lawyer, John Slepchuk, Jr, the pharmacy technician has no criminal record and was forced into the situation out of concern for her 2 children aged 6 and 9 years.

Citing Germaine’s new job at another pharmacy, the judge did not approve a plea agreement where Germaine could have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and avoided jail time, according to MassLive.com.

Slepchuk maintained that Germaine would not be seeking work as a pharmacy technician anymore. He also said Germaine would go to trial, scheduled for April 2015, with the defense that she had acted under duress.